Indeed. Picture from Cornwall Live.
Same in Somerset, ever since the workshops were closed in Bridgwater and Yeovil. Cancellations every day due to lack of serviceable vehicles.
Not a reasonable excuse for failing to operate services, operators must have sufficient buses and drivers to maintain their timetables.
It Often generates questions around the financial standing if too many vehicles are VOR for too long (based on percentage of fleet)
Either way, it's a management decision to close workshops and intentionally not resource an operation with vehicles. The traffic commissioner is sure to make an example of them when they are called in. And frankly they deserve everything they get.
Just last week there were 4 single deckers allocated on the U1 / U1A in one day
Just an outstation of Taunton.
They need to get their act together before the EVs arrive.
Let's not forget that WebberBus lost their Taunton Park and Ride contract from Somerset County Council in 2016 owing to 'missing and late' buses which precipitated their financial collapse two years later and First Somerset 'winning' that bus war. Now the First Goliath does what they usually do when they've got the monopoly and treat the public with disdain. Yet public authorities, including Traffic Commissioners, never seem to judge the big boys by the same rigid rules. Funny that....
Aren't you mixing your drinks here?
And of course there's no evidence whatsoever that small operators are judged more harshly than the large ones.
Good question. I had assumed that it was the influx of EVs that would displace them. However the 59 Streetdecks have been in service for a while now, with just 11 Kites awaited.
Only 10 in total due from Norwich. The rest are from 2 different parts of Yorkshire
Ah, so the plan has changed again. Presumably the early B9TLs in the Yorkshire fleets rather than the newer Norwich ones?
Think it’s been 10 for a while - they’re looking to have a balanced fleet profile too
Mix of 2009 and and 2012 from the different bits of Yorkshire
That was what I'd heard too
That would be a sensible mix. Together with the buses a already in the fleet it would mean that Cornwall ends up with a spread of B9TLs ranging from 12-17 years old thus allowing gradual replacement over a few years.
The info I was given a month or so back and knowing First it will have changedThat was what I'd heard too
Thanks for the detail. As you say it might very well change again. The 12-plate ones would only be about 4.5 years older than the first batch of MMCs.
Corresponds with what I was told on the qt
Any idea when?
I am guessing the South Yorkshire ones are being released by the Streetdecks currently being cascaded in.
Remembered this from a while ago - will some of the Streelites currently coming off the Bee Network be joining the BOS fleet?
